Brief road chase ends in non-injury officer-involved shooting

OCEANSIDE (CNS) - A patrolwoman responding to a shots fired call in Oceanside shot at a teenager who allegedly tried to run her over before being arrested, but neither the teen nor the officer were injured, a police lieutenant said.

The Oceanside police officer was investigating a report of possible gunfire in the area of Calle Montecito about 2:15 a.m. Thursday when she spotted a black car matching the description of one seen near where the shots rang out, said Lt. Leonard Mata.

The patrolwoman followed the sedan until it reached a dead end, then got out to contact the motorist.

At that point, the 17-year-old driver made a U-turn and drove straight toward the officer as she stood alongside her cruiser, prompting her to fire several shots in self-defense, according to Mata.

The teen then sped off, and the officer got back into her squad car and gave chase. A few blocks away, in the 4600 block of Gavioto Court, the fleeing driver pulled over and surrendered without further incident.

The teen was uninjured, but the car he was driving -- which turned out to be stolen -- had been hit by the officer's gunfire, the lieutenant said.

The patrolwoman also was unhurt.

The teen was taken to juvenile hall and booked on suspicion of auto theft and assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.